Considering it’s already September, it won’t be long before we start facing the cold and flu season. As a foodservice management company who focuses on corporate dining, educational facility and hospital cafeterias, concessions management, and health and wellness food programs, we know there are certain foods that are powerful when it comes to fighting colds. Incorporate these foods into your menu to keep the sniffles away all season long!

Turmeric offers anti-inflammatory properties and is believed to rid the body of toxins if taken or eaten in foods on a daily basis. Turmeric is often found in curry dishes, stews, and rice dishes – so eat up!

Sweet potatoes are a healthy alternative to white or russet potatoes used for mashed potatoes and other dishes. Whether baked, mashed, or in sweet potato fries, this wonderful vegetable boosts vitamin A; important for healthy mucosal surfaces (mucous membranes) in the body. Mucous membranes are found in the gastrointestinal tract and the inside of the nose, and also include the skin. Give your vitamin A level a boost, and stay healthier this fall and winter.

Garlic may give you breath that isn’t so pleasant, but it’s unparalleled when it comes to its antibacterial and antimicrobial properties. You can take garlic supplements if you can’t stand the thought of garlic breath, but think how flavorful those dishes that contain garlic are! Research supports the fact that those who consume garlic whether in foods or supplements have fewer colds – and when they do have a cold, it’s less severe.

Chicken soup really is a great choice when you’re sick, or it can be used to prevent a cold or flu. You may have been given chicken soup as a kid when you had a cold. As adults, many of us have grown to believe it’s just an old wives’ tale, but it’s true. Chicken soup, or similar broth-based soups, are great for boosting the immune system. Chicken releases an amino acid called cysteine when cooked, which impacts the body much like drugs prescribed to treat bronchitis. Soups that are broth-based typically contain protein, veggies, and liquids so it’s a healthy choice to give your immune system a boost.

Gourmet Services, Inc. is an Atlanta contract food services company whose goal is to provide exceptional dining services with unmatched quality in terms of foods, ingredients, and service.

Hospitals are facilities that focus on health issues and disease, so it makes sense that these facilities would offer up healthy dining options – but all too often, this isn’t the case. According to recent reports, the American Medical Association, or AMA, is requesting that hospitals offer up more plant-based food options and reduce the processed meats and sugary beverages found in most hospitals’ diets. The AMA represents 200,000 physician members, and these doctors are concerned about the foods offered in many hospitals and their link to some serious diseases such as diabetes.

Will cafeteria foodservice improve? Hopefully so, for both patients’ and visitors’ sakes. AMA board member, Dr. William E. Kobler, wrote in a statement that some of the country’s most debilitating diseases have been linked to excessive sugar consumption, and that health outcomes, along with costs related to chronic diseases, could be improved by limiting sugar-sweetened beverages – not to mention how limiting these beverages could help prevent the onset of these diseases in the first place.

The AMA recommends a starting point for healthier choices begin with vending machines containing sugary drinks. Some of the options to replace these drinks could include unsweetened teas and coffees, unflavored milk, and water. The AMA House of Delegates issued a policy statement at its June 14th annual meeting that focuses on not only sugary beverages, but processed meat and a lack of healthy, plant-based foods. Specifically the AMA would like to see hospitals in the U.S. provide a variety of healthy plant-based options low in sodium, fat, and added sugars; do away with processed meats; and provide healthy beverages.

For many patients, staff, and visitors who visit hospital cafeterias, the options include canned vegetables, fried hamburger patties, refried chicken patties, French fries, mashed potatoes and gravy, and even pizza. Just how healthy are these foods, especially in a hospital setting? Enough said.

Hopefully we’ll see cafeteria foodservice improve in the near future in hospitals, considering they are health facilities we trust to take care of health issues – not cause them. We all know processed foods, excess sugar, and high fat content lead to stroke, heart disease, obesity, and even cancer. Time to take action!

Contract hospital foodservice is our business, and has been for decades. When it comes to freshness, quality, and service in healthier menu options, you can count on Gourmet Services, Inc. for food service excellence.

As a foodservice management company working with schools, corporations, restaurants, and those who offer private or event catering and airport concessions among others, we know the importance of vitamin D in combination with calcium for stronger bones and helping prevent osteoporosis. The problem is, while you can soak up lots of vitamin D from the sun, you want to avoid the wrinkles, dark spots, and even skin cancer that can result from overexposure. So, how to get that all-important vitamin D?

Vitamin D is more important to our health than we give it credit for. A deficiency in this vitamin can contribute to poor immune function, obesity, aching bones, and even feeling a little depressed. It is important to get a little sunshine each day when you can, however you don’t want to overdo it. Just 10 or 15 minutes of exposure between about 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. is all you’ll need to get the boost from the sun without damaging your skin. On a side note: Sunscreen is great for protecting your skin if you’re going to be exposed to the sun’s rays for a prolonged period of time, but it blocks out more than 90% of UVB rays, which are the type used by the body to make vitamin D!

What about nutrition? Many processed foods actually interfere with vitamin D absorption and the enzymes that activate the vitamin in the kidneys and liver, so you want to avoid processed foods as much as possible and instead enjoy fresh, whole foods. While there aren’t a lot of foods that provide much vitamin D, a few good options include cheese, egg yolks, fatty fish (think salmon, tuna, and mackerel), cereals, orange juice, milk (and other foods fortified with vitamin D), and beef liver. Hopefully you’re one of the people who love beef liver and onions, though few do! Yogurt and Shiitake mushrooms are also good sources of vitamin D.

Whether you work in executive dining, an airport restaurant, food craft services or any area of the food and dining industry, we can help! Gourmet Services, Inc. is a contract food services company in Atlanta, helping our clients bring outstanding food to the table for more than 40 years.

As a company providing contract foodservices for decades to some of the most recognized companies around the country, we know that those who participate in festival or mobile catering are passionate about what they do. Whether at a spring or summer festival, company picnic, family reunion or other event, you want your mobile cuisine to be just as amazing as those foods clients would choose from the menu if they were dining in a fine restaurant. This is where we come in!

Mobile catering and festival catering often include lots of grilled options from chicken and fish to barbecue ribs, shrimp, and even grilled vegetables in some cases. Most “grill masters” are familiar with wet and dry rubs used to enhance flavor, create a crust, or a combination of both – but do you really know how to use it? Salt and pepper is great, but it really doesn’t “cut the mustard,” so to speak, when you run a mobile cuisine business!

If your idea of a wet rub is pouring out a bottled barbecue sauce and spreading it around on the meat, it’s time to expand your talents a bit more. Additionally, there are some foods that work best with dry rubs, others with wet, depending on whether the food is cooked fast or slowly. In most cases a gas grill cooks at a higher temperature, and therefore is great for foods that cook fast and tend to get tough or dry if cooked too long, such as chicken and shrimp.

What are dry rubs best used for in grilling? As mentioned above, foods that cook fairly fast can go from average to awesome with the addition of a dry rub. Chicken breasts, shrimp, and fish become amazing when you use the right rub before grilling.

Wet rubs are ideal for foods that you intend to cook slowly, giving it flavor throughout. Meats that love a wet rub and benefit from the moisture that gets drawn in during cooking include bone-in chicken, pork chops, and baby back or spare ribs. Can you picture the sumptuous glaze on those perfectly browned spare ribs as you take them off the grill?

Now, about vegetables. In most cases it’s best to use a wet rub if you’re grilling zucchini, portabella mushrooms, green/red peppers, or other vegetables that don’t require a lot of time on the grill, as dry rubs aren’t known for their ability to stick or adhere to most vegetables.

The great thing about both wet and dry rubs is there’s no limit to the flavors you can create! Mixing various herbs and spices for a wonderful dry rub is easy, whether you include lemon pepper, onion powder, paprika, cayenne pepper, sage, lemon zest, or other ingredients – and there are endless recipes for dry rubs you can find online. A wet rub is basically the same principle, however you will need to add one or more liquids such as honey, lime juice, bourbon, wine, olive or sesame oil, or a combination of your favorites, to create a distinctive and delicious taste.

Hopefully these tips will help you become the best known festival or mobile catering company in your area! Roll up your sleeves and dive in; you’ll create magic with wet and dry rubs.

At Gourmet Services, Inc. we strive for excellence in everything we do. If you’re in search of a contract foodservices company who believes in quality, fresh foods and healthy menu options, contact us today!

In mid-May it was announced that upgrades to Midway Airport restaurants and concessions were underway, something travelers will appreciate. Although there aren’t currently any Rick Bayless or Publican franchises as found at O’Hare, Midway’s competitor, customers will enjoy a dining experience offering a feel that’s decidedly more “old-school Chicago,” according to news reports.

Other newcomers to Midway, according to Ginger Evans, Chicago Department of Aviation Director, include Tap and Pour, Midway Market, JetBox sandwiches, and HVAC pub, among others. Unfortunately for some who love their burgers and ice cream, McDonald’s and Ben & Jerry’s are among several brands that have departed. Evans revealed that the concessions upgrade showcases local businesses and is the first upgrade to the airport in more than 15 years.

In the food industry, as in everything else, times change. Today, companies are focusing on the customer experience and their dining preferences, which have also changed over the decades. Many prefer healthier, more nutritious dining options while others continue to eat foods without giving a thought to calories, fat content, nutritional value, and other factors.

Hopefully the upgrades at Midway will be a hit with diners who will have access to a better wine selection and three restaurants offering sit-down dining.

Contract foodservices providers around the country are becoming more involved in figuring out how those who are elderly with issues such as dementia, Parkinson’s disease, and other conditions can enjoy foods that are nutritious and healthy. Many facilities that cater to the aging (nursing homes, hospitals, assisted living facilities) offer up food that’s not so appealing – and extremely unhealthy, in some cases. Think processed fish sticks, pizza rolls, chicken nuggets, French fries; not the healthiest, and for some seniors difficult to chew or swallow.

Those with dementia no doubt present a challenge when it comes to healthy eating. Many wander around, and find it hard if not impossible to cut foods into bite-size pieces using a fork and knife, quickly becoming frustrated. It’s no wonder many who have cognitive and other issues often lose a substantial amount of weight or lose their appetites altogether. Could healthy cuisine choices such as different types of finger foods be the answer?

Possibly, according to a recent article highlighting the development of healthy finger foods by two Atlanta-based chefs who have been working with chefs at 39 of the Watermark at Logan Square senior communities across 20 states to create healthier, nutritious “finger foods” to make eating easier and more palatable for seniors. So, what are some examples of these healthy cuisine choices those with dementia or other problems may find more appealing? Crepe-wrapped cheesesteak, beef Wellington cupcakes, tilapia wrapped in puff pastry.

According to Watermark’s National Director of Dining Services, Rob Bobbitt, while the main courses at the Philadelphia tasting included mostly meats and cheese, other foods on hand were also finger foods in the form of bite-size vegetables and fruit. A very creative approach to healthier eating options for seniors! For example, Beef Wellington is formed into easy to handle cupcakes and then topped with mashed potatoes and healthy sides such as easy-to-pick-up asparagus spears.

Honestly, who would find chicken nuggets, fish sticks, and pureed foods appetizing time after time? Well-heeled seniors are often accustomed to good food, and cognitive or neuromuscular issues are unfortunately an all-too-common part of life for many seniors. Including nutritious finger foods in dementia dining helps improve seniors’ nutrition, allowing them to preserve their dignity and enjoy at least a bit more independence. Seems fancier fare at facilities who cater to seniors is a growing trend!

Gourmet Services Inc. provides healthy cuisine choices for not only seniors, but the corporate and educational dining environments as well. For every occasion, including catered events or restaurant/concession needs, quality ingredients, unsurpassed service, and fresh healthy menu choices are what we’re all about. When searching for an Atlanta contract foodservices company you can rely on, look no further than Gourmet Services.

As a healthy contract food services company serving the Atlanta and surrounding areas, we know that consumers are more interested in health and wellness today than ever before. This seems particularly true when it comes to what we eat, as many are moving toward “clean” eating and whole foods that are unprocessed or even locally sourced.

Whether you operate a school or hospital cafeteria, corporate dining room, restaurant, or other venue – how can you “sell” health and wellness through food? We have a few suggestions you’ll find helpful.

Offer a discount and consider your kitchen equipment. What menu items will people choose when you offer a bigger discount on healthy menu options versus a smaller discount on not-so-healthy foods? Many will choose the healthier option. Additionally, many operators have found that by replacing deep fryers with grills (think churrasco grill) for preparation of chicken, fish, and other protein entrees, sales have actually increased.

Get innovative! Think of ways you can implement a new health and wellness initiative every two weeks, once a month, etc. It may be offering a discount on certain items on the salad bar, a free fruit smoothie after four purchases, whatever your imagination can conjure up to get diners interested in healthier choices.

Feature various global cuisines that focuses on health and authenticity. Some university cafeterias have found that it’s helpful to reach out to chefs and food authors for recipes that are truly authentic and healthy.

Above all, make sure your entire team is on board when it comes to creating menu options that focus on health and wellness, and that they are as passionate as you are about promoting wellness to guests. An engaged workforce is vital, and excitement about what you’re doing is contagious.

Gourmet Services, Inc. is all about fresh, healthy, and delicious. In the contract food services industry since 1975, we’ve seen many changes over the years in eating, diets, and what consumers want. Let us help you sell health and wellness through quality, delicious foods and innovation!

Those in foodservice management know that over the last 50 years, K-12 dining services haven’t changed all that much. Many kids and teens go through the same motions and even eat the same foods today at school that as parents, we had for lunch at their age.

While the NSLP (National School Lunch Program) has served K-12 children for more than 70 years now, many kids also eat breakfast at school today, a service that wasn’t offered when older adults were children. Not only that, some schools offer after-school snacks. The problem is, how healthy are these foods, and why is ours the only country in the world in which many children starve and go hungry, while others have obesity issues?

As bad as the news all seems, and while K-12 foodservices are becoming more and more in demand, there may be a silver lining inside what seems to be a dark cloud when it comes to children’s and teens’ health and nutrition. Seven years ago the nutritional standards for the National School Lunch Program were raised by the USDA, and the challenge continues as schools make an effort to serve healthier choices for lunch and breakfast. Still, will kids eat foods that are healthier? When they decide that what’s on the tray doesn’t look so appetizing and decide to eat snacks from a vending machine or bring unhealthy foods from home, it isn’t a win for anyone.

Having schools incorporate healthier options into the lunch menu is a good start; however, more important, is teaching kids the importance of good nutrition and a healthy diet both at home and at school. In reality, this transformation to eating healthier has to go in a complete circle from choosing the best options not only in the education environment, but at the retail setting level, at home – everywhere.

At Gourmet Services we understand the importance of the role we play in helping change the way children and teens perceive the foods they eat, and the successful execution of K-12 dining services. We live in a totally different world from what was considered acceptable or even healthy in the 70’s and 80’s. It’s time for change in the way our kids eat – and that takes a huge effort from all of us. For all of your foodservice management needs, trust Gourmet Services to deliver beyond your expectations.

Retail restaurants, cafeterias, and others want to keep food costs down without sacrificing quality. As a foodservice management company in Atlanta, we understand the need to save money, along with concerns of wasting food. More and more restaurants, concessions, catering companies and others in the food industry are concerned about sustainability as well. We have a few tips that will address all of these issues.

Planning is critical to success. While it isn’t necessarily easy, it’s necessary to establish a budget; only then can you focus on developing your menu. It’s important to know how much every dish on your menu costs, and whether each item on the menu is selling well. If you notice that a particular menu item isn’t selling, consider removing it. Over time you will know which dishes are popular and which aren’t, which will make it easier to establish your menu and determine pricing that is profitable, but not out of range for customers. It takes time to determine which foods or ingredients seem to go to waste more than others, and which you run short on before placing your next order. Once you have a grasp on the products/ingredients you use most, and those you’re throwing a substantial portion of away, you’ll find it easier to be consistent with ordering supplies. This helps you save money while enhancing sustainability.

Trained employees are key to avoiding food waste and enjoying greater profits. Make sure your staff understands the importance of food safety, making the most of ingredients, taking inventory, and every aspect of the business that’s key to maintaining quality while avoiding waste.

Pay attention. You can significantly reduce waste by paying close attention to whether a lot of food is being left on the plate, or whether servers are giving “to-go” boxes to customers to take food home with them. If so, your portion sizes may need to be cut back a bit, along with menu prices. The right portion sizes reduce waste, and directly impacts how much you have to order to replenish inventory – which saves money.

To be successful in any food-related business it’s essential to provide quality, reduce waste, and set the right price. At Gourmet Services, Inc. our foodservice management professionals help you achieve your goals in terms of profits, fresh menu choices, sustainability, and more.

As a trusted contact catering service in Atlanta for decades, we understand that when you’re hosting an event you want fresh, delicious foods that satisfy all your guests. Whether for a wedding, company picnic, engagement party, corporate meeting, or other event, you can rely on Gourmet Services, Inc. to deliver beyond your expectations!

We understand the importance of personal interest in your needs, and responsiveness. If you are in the business of catering to events, it is critical that all parties benefit from clear communication, and having those conversations to ensure everything is as expected. Flexibility is also key given the wide array of menu options and preferences of people today. Some are vegetarians, others want a juicy steak, while others are more concerned about health issues, including diabetes. In today’s world, event and private catering isn’t about a great barbecue – it’s much more.

Perhaps you’ve heard of the term flexitarianism, which simply refers to those who prefer vegetables for the most part, but who also eat meat occasionally. Many who adhere to this lifestyle eat less meat, preferring for the most part alternatives to protein that is plant-based. In addition to this trend, consumers and companies are concerned about a “waste not economy” in which many chefs are making delicious use of items that were once discarded such as various greens, carrot tops, and other food products once previously discarded with little thought. Today it’s about inventive, interesting food options that meet everyone’s preferences, whether because of diet, health concerns, or avoiding waste.

At Gourmet Services, Inc. we are a contract catering company who tailors our program to meet your specific needs, regardless of the occasion. No longer are events focused on meat and potatoes, but the desires of a vast audience concerned about health, food origins, and reducing food waste. For all of your contract foodservice provider needs, look no further. Excellence is our motto!